Sam Riley Joins Neil Jordan's Vampire Thriller Byzantium

Haunting leading man Sam Riley, best known for playing tortured Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis in Control, has joined the cast of Neil Jordanís vampire fantasy thriller Byzantium, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Riley will play Darvell, a man allegedly caught in the middle of a deadly pact formed between a mother-daughter vampire pair, played by the seductively alluring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan. The casting news was confirmed in a trade report that Jordanís production will receive crucial funding from the Irish Film Board, which was announced yesterday. "The investment by the IFB in Byzantium will ensure that the project can be produced in Ireland, bringing with it international investment and ensuring Irish talent are attached to it," producer Alan Moloney said.

Jordanís film is being adapted by Moira Buffini from her own stage play. In addition to the aforementioned leads, Jordan has cast Daniel Mays, Caleb Landry Jones and Uri Gavriel, according to IMDB.

Jordan is drastically shifting gears with a vampire thriller, coming off of the lyrical mermaid romance Ondine, with Colin Farrell. Then again, Jordon is nothing if not unpredictable. His last three efforts have been Ondine, the vengeance drama The Brave One with Jodie Foster, and Breakfast on Pluto, which isnít easy to categorize. All three were excellent, though, and I expect big things from Byzantium, particularly with the cast Jordan has put together. Heís filming now, so expect to see it in theaters by the end of 2012.